Sterne earns Match Play spot after Joburg victory

Richard Sterne’s first European Tour victory in nearly four years came with another perk: a spot in a World Golf Championship. Sterne won the Joburg Open on Sunday to move from 94th to 55th in the Official World Golf Ranking.

It was a well-timed win. Sunday was the deadline for players to earn spots in the WGC-Accenture Match Play. The top 64 available players earned spots in the bracket Feb. 20-24 at Dove Mountain Golf Club in Marana, Ariz. Phil Mickelson had previously said he plans to skip the event because of a family holiday.

Sterne was the only player to enter the OWGR’s top 65 in the final week to qualify for the Match Play. Bernd Wiesberger, who was inactive last week, dropped from 65th to 67th. The Match Play’s seeding will be determined by the OWGR released after this week’s Northern Trust Open. Only one player’s seed is set: Rory McIlroy is guaranteed to be No. 1 in the ranking.

Sterne started the year ranked 154th in the Official World Golf Ranking, but won Joburg and was second at the Dubai Desert Classic. He was one of four players to make the Match Play field after starting the year outside the OWGR’s top 100. Russell Henley (131st to 56th), Chris Wood (139th to 60th) and Charles Howell III (117th to 64th) were the others. Howell hasn’t competed in the Match Play since making seven consecutive starts from 2002-08.

Thongchai Jaidee (80th to 54th), Stephen Gallacher (98th to 57th) and Tim Clark (91st to 59th) were the only others to earn Match Play berths after starting 2013 outside the top 65.

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WHO’S IN RIGHT NOW? Here’s a list of the 64 participants for the WGC-Accenture Match Play along with their OWGR ranking (Note: World No. 10 Phil Mickelson dropped out last week and was replaced by No. 65 Shane Lowry):

1. Rory McIlroy

2. Tiger Woods

3. Luke Donald

4. Brandt Snedeker

5. Justin Rose

6. Louis Oosthuizen

7. Adam Scott

8. Lee Westwood

9. Bubba Watson

11. Ian Poulter

12. Jason Dufner

13. Steve Stricker

14. Sergio Garcia

15. Keegan Bradley

16. Charl Schwartzel

17. Dustin Johnson

17. Webb Simpson

19. Graeme McDowell

20. Peter Hanson

21. Nick Watney

22. Matt Kuchar

23. Bo Van Pelt

24. Ernie Els

25. Zach Johnson

26. Hunter Mahan

27. Martin Kaymer

28. Jim Furyk

29. Branden Grace

30. Jamie Donaldson

31. Gonzalo Fdez-Castano

32. Paul Lawrie

33. Rickie Fowler

34. Carl Pettersson

35. Francesco Molinari

36. Bill Haas

37. Scott Piercy

38. Robert Garrigus

39. Nicolas Colsaerts

40. Thorbjorn Olesen

41. George Coetzee

42. Ryan Moore

43. Jason Day

44. Matteo Manassero

45. John Senden

46. Hiroyuki Fujita

47. David Toms

48. Padraig Harrington

49. Thomas Bjorn

50. Alexander Noren

51. David Lynn

52. Henrik Stenson

53. Marcus Fraser

54. Thongchai Jaidee

55. Richard Sterne

56. Russell Henley

57. Stephen Gallacher

58. Rafael Cabrera Bello

59. Tim Clark

60. Chris Wood

61. Richie Ramsay

62. K.J. Choi

63. Marcel Siem

64. Charles Howell III

65. Shane Lowry

These players would be next in line to earn a spot in the field should a player drop out: